"Suddenly, the most beautiful words filled the air. Eva was rehearsing her writing aloud, in Spanish. I quickly reached for my phone and recorded her, so she'd remember her plans. But Eva didn’t need that. The words came right back, this time, on paper."
Uncomfortable Topic Choices in Writing Workshop
How do you handle these moments? What does a conference look like when you're thinking, "Oh my goodness. Should I even be letting them write about this in school?!"
Organization Wishes and Happy Writing Dreams
Are you the writing teacher you dream to be?
Slice of Life Tuesday
Tuesdays are Slice of Life days! Everyone is welcome in this community. Sometimes we find inspiration in the strangest places. Last week, I opened a Dove chocolate--the kind that has a message inside the aluminum wrapper--and here's the message I found: Every moment matters, including this one. Autumn B., Florida. Welcome to the Slice of… Continue reading Slice of Life Tuesday
In Case You Missed It: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Thank you for joining us for our blog series Looking Back and Moving Forward. I think we all agree on the importance of reflection in the lives of writers. In case you missed any of our posts over the past week, here's a quick summary.
End-of-Year Letters: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Sometimes it's the feedback our students -- rather than our administrators -- give us that help us become better teachers.
Our Most Powerful Tool- Our Words: Looking Back And Moving Forward
In Visible Learning For Literacy, Fisher, Frey, and Hattie, explain “When feedback is delivered in such that it is timely, specific, understandable, and actionable students assimilate the language used by their teacher into their self-talk. (2016, 100)” These words stopped me. When our words become the self-talk of our students, they become the most influential tool we have as teachers.
Thinking about Process versus Product: Looking Back and Moving Forward
As we approach the end of the year, it’s a great time to think about and ask children to think about the growth they’ve made since the first day of school. In the rush, it’s easy to forget about the importance of slowing down and taking the time to reflect, and yet, reflection is a cornerstone of learning.
Reflecting Through the Lens of Writing Process: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Reflection can help foster both a writerly identity and act as a discovery process for possible future goals. This is likely true for any endeavor, whether it be coaching soccer or writing. This week, we as co-authors have been doing some thinking about the power of self-reflection. One possible lens for reflection is the writing process itself...
More Than Tinkering: Looking Back and Moving Forward
Revision is a process. It is also a frequently misunderstood endeavor. As a teacher, I have often revised my beliefs to re-see my goals and purpose when it comes to teaching my writers the best revision strategies.
How to Reinvigorate Writing Workshop With Joy Through Independent Writing Projects
Don't let kids (or teachers) lose momentum for writing as summer approaches! There is no better time than now to implement independent writing projects, as we help kids prepare to lead writerly lives long after the school year ends.
Slice of Life Tuesday
Tuesdays are Slice of Life days! Everyone is welcome in this community. WRITE a slice of life story on your own blog. SHARE a link to your post in the comments section. GIVE comments to at least three other SOLS bloggers. As another school year approaches its end, it's so important that we teach and celebrate the power… Continue reading Slice of Life Tuesday

